Energy News

Ener1 and Volvo team up, leaving Think behind?

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:27:00 GMT

Using New York-based Ener1's battery packs, the development program is expected to produce a commercially ready plug-in hybrid model by 2012.

Municipal Energy Financing Efforts Push Renewable Energy Development and Efficiency

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:35:00 GMT

We've created a growing list of new rules that help communities overcome one of key barriers for consumers and businesses to develop on-site renewable energy projects and make substantial investments in energy efficiency: lack of access to long-term, low-interest financing.

Cities in some states need state-level enabling legislation but many do not. These new laws let cities leverage their bonding authority and extend that attractive financing to improve homes and businesses, with property owners paying back the investment through long-term property tax assessments.

High School Students Get Served...

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:22:00 GMT

...an amazing day of climate science and public speaking training, that is!

Check out some highlights from ACE’s (not ACES… the climate bill... which most folks who write here at Watthead can speak to!) student presenter training.

On June 16, 20 high school students descended upon the newly opened (and LEED-fabulous) David Brower Center in downtown Berkeley, CA, for a jam-packed day of training, networking, and general amazing-ness.

A big thank you to the SSC for joining us and providing our students with powerful training and skill building!

If you want in for our next training, August 11th 2009, email Ashlee Jensen as soon as possible. You won’t want to miss it! (that’s ashlee.jensen@climateeducation.org) Below the fold is a bit more about what our training covers.

You can also watch many more videos from ACE on Youtube here.

By attending the training, students will: establish trust and a sense of community among fellow student trainees, observe student climate presentations, learn climate science, learn and practice answers to common questions (take skeptic questions in stride), learn effective outreach skills, practice creating their own Personal Narrative, learn Powerpoint / Keynote, and receive a DVD of ACE’s student climate presentation to take into the world. They will also be able to contact ACE whenever, wherever, for ongoing help and support.

Our student presenters are going on to give presentations on their own, in their high schools and in their communities.

Read more about ACE: www.climateeducation.org

SF Solar Energy Incentive Program Shines Bright in First Year

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:14:00 GMT

Last July, the City & County of San Francisco launched the first local solar energy incentive program in the nation, The results are in, and, the program is an unequivocal success.

In the year since our solar energy incentive program GoSolarSF launched, we have seen a 450% increase in applications for solar installations in San Francisco over the previous year, from 200 to 850. And despite the current recession, 56 applicants met our low-income standards and will receive incentive payments.

Read more of this story »

Los Angeles to Dump Coal Use by 2020

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:03:00 GMT

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced that his city will completely eliminate coal from its electricity use by 2020.

The L.A. Department of Water and Power (LADWP) currently gets 40% of its electricity from coal plants outside of the state (California itself doesn't have any). With this move, the LADWP expects to cuts its carbon dioxide emissions by up to 60% from 1990 levels (with 1.45 million electricity customers, it's the largest city-owned utility in the nation).

Instead, about 40% of the power the city currently gets from coal will be replaced with renewable energy sources like solar and wind. The other 60% will come from natural gas, nuclear and hydro.

As a result of this decision, a proposed coal plant in Utah was canceled, as the LADWP was to be its biggest customer.

Why now?
The city decided to make the switch to avoid paying more for fossil fuel electricity in the future, when carbon regulations (both California's state regulations and federal ones, like a cap-and-trade policy) increase the cost of doing business with fossil fuels. Not to mention the "costs to society," like higher medical bills for lung-related diseases such as asthma.

However, the Mayor's office noted that eliminating coal power will mean higher electricity rates in the short-term (although LADWP expects its rates to remain competitive with the rest of Southern California). Deputy Mayor David Freeman explained:

"The rates are going to go up. There is no way you can bring in renewable energy and not have some rate impact when you replace coal. But the value to society even aside from global warming is going to be positive."

This is a straightforward message that people will need to hear as cities and states continue to replace their dirty electricity sources with clean ones. There may be modest, short-term increases in electricity costs, but the long-term savings from cleaner, unlimited energy and a healthier, cleaner society will outweigh those costs - especially when combined with energy efficiency improvements (as Los Angeles is doing) to further drive down energy demand.

via VanNess Feldman Law Firm and Reuters

Midwest Monday: Renewable Energy News

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:03:00 GMT

GS Yuasa to raise $397M for Li-ion battery development

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:52:00 GMT

Japanese battery maker plans to issue 40 million new shares to invest in lithium-ion battery production equipment at its three subsidiaries.

Construction set for 2010 on biggest desal plant in West

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:41:00 GMT

$320 million project faced years of opposition and lawsuits, but it's now expected to alleviate future droughts by processing 50 million gallons a day.

Smart Microgrids: Discussing Efficient Energy Management Solutions with Valence Energy

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:36:00 GMT

Valence Energy is a fresh new technology company working to develop and deploy a package of energy management solutions for institutional campuses, universities or entire neighborhoods known as “smart microgrids.” A potential stepping-stone to a modern nationwide smart energy grid, smart microgrids combine a local energy system with a dose of IT ‘smarts’ to enable more efficient and dynamic management of both energy demand and on-site energy generation.

To explore the concept of smart microgrids and their potential, I caught up with Alexis Ringwald, Co-founder and Director of Business Development for Valence, for this interview. You can find the full interview only at the Energy Collective here.

Solid waste to close energy shortfall at Delhi airport

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:04:00 GMT

10 MW system at Indira Gandhi International Airport is expected to reduce overflow at landfills, while operators plan to reduce water use with rainwater harvesting wells.

It’s Time to Bring Renewable Energy Home

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:19:00 GMT

From a commentary by Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin, July 12, 2009:

In a unanimous vote, the Public Service Commission (PSC) recently cleared the way for Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin utility to construct a 200 megawatt (MW) windpower plant project in southern Minnesota. Once operational, the Bent Tree project, costing upwards of $450 million, will be a productive source of renewable energy that will provide lasting benefits to Minnesota’s economy and environment. Since it will be Alliant’s Wisconsin customers who foot the bill, however, it is reasonable to inquire whether the current utility practice of outsourcing renewable energy production to other states is a good thing for Wisconsin’s economy.

Because we can’t see it, taste it, hear it or smell it, we tend to lose sight of the fact that electricity is a manufactured product. To make it, capital is amassed and expended on machinery that convert raw resources like coal, flowing water, and wind into this highly useful form of energy. The electricity is then transported via networks of wires to power factories, illuminate residences and streets, propel commuter trains, and energize the complex communications systems that allows to store vast quantities of instantly retrievable information. It is hard to name a manufactured product that adds more value to an industrialized society than electricity.

Yet electricity’s impact on the economy is not defined solely by the activities it supports. There is as well the intense amount of economic activity that goes into building the power plants themselves. In the case of Bent Tree, the capital used to manufacture, transport and erect 122 wind turbines will unleash a year-long burst of construction work in Freeborn County employing hundreds of skilled laborers and technicians. The work will also ripple through nearby component manufacturers involved with the project, as well as ports and other transfer points where components are unloaded and loaded onto special vehicles and hauled to the project zone. . . .

If Wisconsin truly desires to provide a home to a viable renewable energy economy, it will have to redefine the public interest standards that govern the expenditure of ratepayer dollars. This means giving such economic benefits as job creation, component manufacturing, workforce participation, increased tax receipts to local and state government, and reduced dependence on future transmission upgrades as much due consideration as cost per megawatt-hour. Granted, this is a form of industrial policy. However, if state policymakers don’t take steps to build a solid market structure for generating more renewable electricity here at home, Wisconsin’s ability to compete for good jobs and business opportunities could become hopelessly compromised.

Ramky Group’s subsidiary plans IPO in 2009

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:19:00 GMT

Hyderabad, India-based Ramky Group’s infrastructure firm said it is talks with private equity companies in case its IPO exit plans don't solidify.

Insurers Attempt to Reduce Risks of Carbon Capture & Storage

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:54:00 GMT

In January the Swiss insurer Zurich Financial Services AG launched two insurance products to cover liabilities for Carbon Capture & Storage.

It is now processing four submissions from some of the 10 to 15 European companies planning to have plants running by 2015. Additional companies in Europe, United States, Australia, China and Japan were also expressing interest in the coverage, a sign companies are beginning to explore implementing the as yet largely undeployed technology.

“There is a ‘fog of war' surrounding the actual risks of CCS,” John Scott, head of risk insights at Zurich Global Corporate, said. “Operators need certainty. It is difficult as a business person to make any long-term investment decisions unless you have certainty about the costs of risks,” John Scott said.

“Actually, the most challenging thing is what happens beyond 50 years or when a storage site is sealed. Who then bears the risk?”

Read more of this story »

Join the Brita Climate Ride - Bike to Washington DC

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:39:00 GMT

This year’s 2nd annual Brita Climate Ride and “climate conference on wheels” will see 200 cyclists pedal 300 miles from New York City to the US Capitol in Washington DC to raise money and awareness to fight climate change. The ride takes place from September 26 to 30, 2009, and benefits critical projects at three climate and bike-related organizations: Rails-To-Trails Conservancy, Focus the Nation, and Clean Air – Cool Planet. The ride is an unforgettable experience and a unique opportunity to be part of the movement. The picture below shows Climate Riders biking into Washington DC during last September’s Brita Climate Ride.

Climate Riders are renewable energy experts, green organizers, environmental leaders, and everyday citizens coming together on a beautiful 5-day bike ride to tackle global warming, and learn about solutions to the climate crisis and how to transition to a new energy future. At the end of the event in Washington DC, climate riders will meet with their congressional representatives to summon a new natural resource: the collective political will to actually affect change in our nation’s capital.

This year, the ride will feature several notable expert climate speakers and leaders in the green movement, including:

Alison Gannett: world champion free skier, Patagonia Ambassador, founder of the Save our Snow Foundation, and star of Warren Miller ski films. Alison will be pedaling with the Climate Riders all the way to DC! In her free time, Alison converted the 1st Solar-powered SUV PHEV in the world to get 100+mpg. This amazing athlete and climate change warrior also leads ski expeditions to Pakistan, Bolivia, Bhutan and India to document global warming.

Josh Dorfman, a.k.a. the Lazy Environmentalist, who has a new show on Sundance, will also return for his second year, to show that the Lazy E can ride 300 miles without training. (We don’t advise this for anyone but Josh!)

Friis Arne Petersen, Denmark’s Ambassador to the US, will be joining the ride on Night 4, right before the riders begin their journey to the US Capitol. Mr. Petersen will brief the group on the upcoming COP15 United Nations Climate Conference, which will be the next phase of the Kyoto Protocol being negotiated in Copenhagen Denmark this December. Three Climate Riders will be chosen for an all-expenses paid trip to Denmark during the conference, courtesy of the Embassy of Denmark. (News Update–the Ambassador has decided to ride 3 days of Climate Ride!)

Check back with us at www.climateride.org to learn who else will be pedaling from NYC to DC.

Brita Climate Ride is the first multi-day, multi-city charitable bike ride that showcases the bicycle as a viable solution to climate change and the only such event that benefits climate and bicycle-related organizations. Riders pay a $100 registration fee, and then raise $2,400 to participate. The ride is fully-supported by a team of talented leader-hosts, bike mechanics, medics, and massage therapists. Climate Ride is also one of the ‘greenest’ multi-day charity ride events in the world. Riders are asked to bring no bottled water (recyclable water bottles will be used, and filtered water will be provided by the title sponsor Brita). There’s no disposable plateware or cups, the support vehicles are hybrids and vans that run on veggie grease, and every effort is made to recycle and compost materials used on the ride.

Registration is now open and riders can sign up or find out more information at the Brita Climate Ride website: www.climateride.org. Join us as we drive the ultimate carbon-free machine: the bicycle!

Investor Ideas - Stock Picking/Trading Contest

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:00:00 GMT

POINT ROBERTS, WA and Delta BC - July 13 , 2009 - www.InvestorIdeas.com, a leading investor research portal specialized in sector investing announces its new investor contest, for investors traders following leading sectors including renewable energy, water, tech, biotech and more.

Renewable Energy Stocks and Green Stocks Directory Preview of Publicly Traded Solar Stocks

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 03:00:00 GMT

POINT ROBERTS, WA and DELTA, BC - July 13 , 2009 - www.RenewableEnergyStocks.com, a leading global investor and industry portal for the renewable energy sector within Investorideas.com, previews the current global directory of renewable energy stocks for investors following the sector, with a list of publicly traded solar stocks.

Pure Energy Radio Show

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:12:00 GMT

Up till now it has been you who looked for information on alternative fuel technologies and ongoing developments in the field of cleaner energy. If you need information on this topic you need to either scour various alternative energy websites on the Internet or go through cryptic journals and papers in the library. [...]
Posted in: Future Energy, Industry, Politics

DIY: Rick’s Cheap Solar Panel Installation Powers His Home

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:03:00 GMT

A lot of people want to be green in using energy but they don't know where to start, or they don't have enough money/time at their disposal to actually start making something useful.

Cheap Printable Batteries Designed for Low Consumption Applications

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 20:37:00 GMT

A team of researchers from Fraunhofer Research Institution for Electronic Nano Systems ENAS in Chemnitz and their colleagues from TU Chemnitz and Menippos GmbH have recently developed a printable battery which is environmentally friendly as it contains no mercury.

Treasury, Energy Announce More Than $3 Billion in Recovery Act Funds for Renewable Energy Projects

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:00:00 GMT

07/13/2009 - As part of an innovative partnership aimed at increasing economic development in urban and rural areas while setting our nation on the path to energy independence, the U...

World's Largest Solar Plant May be Built in Cle Elum

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:00:00 GMT

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Green Grease: Environmentally Friendly Industrial Lubricant Developed

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 12:40:00 GMT

Researchers have developed an environmentally friendly, biodegradable lubricant based on castor oil and cellulose derivatives.

The new grease, which does not contain any of the pollutants that traditional petroleum and synthetic lubricants have, may lighten the toxic load from manufacturing and industry on our water and soil.

Read more of this story »

Water Desalination Plants Powered by Renewable Energy

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 08:18:00 GMT

Due to the freshwater crisis from places like Dubai and Australia, inventors around the world have started looking for ways to convert seawater and make it potable. Most of these desalination plants require a huge amount of energy, being powered from non-renewable sources.

New Study Lifts the Curtain on Clean Coal

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:46:00 GMT

A new study from West Virginia University exposes one more dirty little secret about America's favorite fossil fuel, coal. Though coal mining is touted as an economic boon to local communities, the study reviews mortality statistics to conclude that coal mining communities in Appalachia are among the weakest economies in their home states, and in the country. The study, “Mortality in Appalachian Coal Mining Regions,” appears in the July-August issue of Public Health Reports, the official journal of the U.S. Public Health Services.

Read more of this story »

Off to Canada, but the Floor is Open for Questions

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:48:00 GMT

I am flying to Alberta in the morning and will be there through the middle of the week, trying to learn more about the renewable energy opportunities there. I doubt I will put up anything new until I return. So I thought this might be a good time to solicit questions readers may have. I know that I don't always address all questions in the comments, so if you have one that I have neglected, you can ask following this post and I will answer when I return.

The last time I asked readers for questions, I got 30 or so that I answered in the following two posts:

Answering Questions - Part I

Answering Questions - Part II

That's been almost two years, though, and there have been lots of interesting developments since then. So ask away, and I will answer to the best of my ability. Other readers are certainly welcome to offer their own answers to questions, and in some cases I may use something from the comments when answering.

One thing I will throw out there is that on Friday, July 17th I am supposed to speak to POET about their cellulosic efforts (which I mentioned in a recent post). I have a list of things I want to ask them about, but if you have something you would like me to ask them, please post the question here and I will ask for you provided it is topical.

Until then, please behave yourselves. :-)

Born-again GM makes first mistake on road to recovery

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:00:00 GMT

Why oh why is General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson pulling dinosaur Bob Lutz out of retirement and reinstating him as vice-chairman? Let's ignore the fact that Lutz doesn't believe man is responsible for global warming and calls talk of climate action as “a crock of shit.” But has it occurred to Fritz that Lutz, like former CEO Rick Wagoner, was one of the most powerful executives at GM during its demise into bankruptcy? Hell, why not bring back Wagoner then?

Lutz will be “responsible for all creative elements of products and customer relationships,” according to a GM release. “GM's brands, marketing, advertising, and communications will report to Lutz for consistent messaging and results.”

No disrespect to Lutz, who certainly has a skills set that could be of some use to GM. He was the driving force behind GM's Volt, though only pursued it with vigour after Tesla Motors came on the scene. But he's also a guy who has dissed hybrids as making no sense, and most of his past projects have been about building more powerful, gas-guzzling vehicles, not smaller more fuel-efficient models. Lutz, 77, is arguably out of touch with the new generation of car-buyers that the new GM must tap if it hopes to regain its footing in the automotive marketplace.

By bringing Bob Lutz back, GM risks falling into the same trap that put it in hot water and eventually plunged it into bankruptcy. Since the U.S. government owns a majority of GM, I wonder what its position is on the rehiring of Lutz. What GM needs is some youth in the driver's seat and executives that have the vision necessary to reinvent the company, not a climate-change denying auto-industry dinosaur that may end up doing more harm than good.

Personally, I'm looking forward to Magna International's entry into the electric-car market, including its partnership with Ford and future partnerships that could bring electric-vehicle manufacturing to Canada.

Low-Cost Way to Convert Sugarcane Juice into Useful Fuel

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:19:00 GMT

The company Amyris Biotechnologies opened a plant in Campanis, Brazil, with a capacity of more than 10,000 gallons a year, to demonstrate large-scale production of hydrocarbons from sugarcane processed using its engineered microbes, which will convert sugarcane into conventional diesel fuel.

EU drives boom in carbon trading in first half of '09

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:15:00 GMT

New report shows that global trading volumes were up 124 percent over the same period in 2008, but lower carbon prices meant the total market value was up just 22 percent.

Not-so-green California?

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:52:00 GMT

Report shows that strict regulations in the Golden State are resulting in mounds of e-waste being shipped to Arizona.

Advanced Battery to supply technology for ZAP EVs

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:25:00 GMT

Distribution deal stems from joint technology office in China developing polymer lithium ion batteries.